Here's another really wonderful memory! My sister had a tremendous love for the city she grew up in: San Francisco... After I grew up & began driving, us girls, me, Elaweta & Joan went to SF..She brought out a certain independence & 'bravery" in me! I was absolutely passionate about hearing every thing my sister's were passionate about...Their growing up, their favorite music, the schools they went to & every single SF flat we lived in. We were , financially, on the lower end of the spectrum. She told me that her & Joan shared a bedroom & the room was so small that when they opened the door, the only thing they could do was jump on the bed! One time she wanted so very badly to go to SF to reminisce & drive by every place we lived ( and believe me, she knew EVERY address.. Well I was "ALL IN" to drive them there. Needless to say, the day was full of fun & laughs! When we got to our flat on Dolores Street, she was in her 'glory!' She wanted so badly to go inside, so I said, Let's knock on the door & tell them we used to live here & ask them if we could just walk thru...They couldn't believe I had the nerve to do practically anything! It was only by being with them, that I was so 'unafraid' of ANYTHING! When we knocked on the door, Monks answered, & I told them our story & they were absolutely fine with it. We walked thru & my sister was so happy! She explained everything about that little flat that they used to do! Like when they played & hung from the ceiling in the little front room.. She did say that that little flat had been changed a lot but she had the blast of her life just "re-living" her memories! The high school where they went (Mission High School) was right across the street & mama used to watch Elaweta & Joan try to climb up the stairs every morning when their long tight skirts gave them a real challenge getting up those stairs. After school Elaweta told me when she came home she would look up at that little window & that box of Tide was there & that, to her, was "home."

I will begin with just 1 of many precious memories of my beautiful sister. She was my "support pillar" throughout my entire pregnancy with my son. So excited, she was! My parents were so much older than average age of grandparents & it had been a while since their prior grandchild (Kelly) was born. When my labor began, I remember I was sitting in the living room floor at mom's but I didn't know that those little "twangs" were actually labor pains; BUT SHE KNEW! She watched me like a hawk! She told mama, " Mom, she's having another one & she's not telling us!" After a while she told my brother-in-law, Loren, to go to Bobs Big Boy to get some burgers for dinner cause we were going to the hospital! Then after that, it was raining & we left &I sai," I think this is a false alarm, but when we got to El Camino Hospital, the nurse put me in a wheel chair & said I would be staying, as they 'wheeled me into the 'labor' room I looked back at my parents with tears in my eyes! They waited almost all night, then they decided to go back to mom & daddys & wait for the call as to when delivery time was & the minute they got in bed the call came! My mom jumped up & put her pants on backwards & my dad forgot his teeth! They got back to the hospital & my sweet sister kept asking if there was a man with curly blonde hair holding a baby in there? We had 2 names chosen: Nicole Renee, if it was a girl & Jason Matthew if it was a boy & Jim came out with his shirt collar hanging almost off from me tugging on it with every labor pain, & he announced to my sweet sister & parents that it was Jason Matthew! My sister & my parents were " out of their head, so excited! I was on the highest of natural highs from that time forward!